Most Walnut Creek Schools Lost Ground on Test Performance in 2013

Las Lomas High School, in the Acalanes Union High School District, was the only school in Walnut Creek to post a gain in student test performance last year, scoring one point higher in the Annual Performance Index (API) than the previous year, according to results released Thursday by state schools chief Tom Torlakson.

Every other Walnut Creek public school lost points. 

The API is a score ranging from 200 to 1,000 that measures how well students do on a variety of tests, including the California Standards Test and the state’s high school exit exam. The state has set 800 as the API target for all schools to meet. Here’s a detailed summary of the API from the California Department of Education.

Statewide, the number of California schools meeting the state target for student performance on standardized tests dropped by 2 percent.

In 2013, 51 percent of the state’s schools earned an Academic Performance Index score of 800 or above, compared to 53 percent the previous year.

Based on 2013 test scores, 56 percent of elementary schools, 50 percent of middle schools, and 31 percent of high schools are now at or above the 800 mark.

In the last decade, the number of schools meeting the target of an 800 API has increased by 30 percent.

The state’s overall API dropped two points to 789 from 791, but Torlakson was quick to note that the statewide API for poor students and students learning English increased five points and one point, respectively.